by Kadin, Karri
“Please, please open the door!” a woman said, from the other side of the barn door. “Please, if you're in there open up. I’m not sick, I swear.”
Veronica's gut twisted. She held onto Timber and his entire body shook, but he wasn't growling. He bolted from her arms, ran to the door, and scratched at the wood. He looked back at Veronica and whined.
“I saw you come in here when I was hiding in a tree from the Eaters. I have nowhere else to go. Please. Before they come back,” the woman cried.
Timber clawed at the door and his whine grew more pathetic. Guilt tightened around Veronica’s chest and she struggled to breathe. She stumbled to the door and removed the barricade plank. The door flung open and a blonde woman with pink tear-stained cheeks rushed in. Veronica pushed the door closed and placed the plank back in the brackets.
The woman sat in the middle of the barn with a flashlight and whipped her head around, surveying the area. Veronica walked back to the wood stove and shoved more wood inside, bringing the fire back to life. The glass door on the old stove provided a small area of illumination around it. She sat back down on the sleeping bag and kept her eye on the woman.
“What’s your name?” Veronica asked.
“Everyone I’ve told my name to since this fucking thing began has died. So I’ll keep it to myself if you don’t mind.” The woman walked into the light and sat down near the stove.
“Suit yourself. I’m Veronica.” Veronica rubbed Timber’s tummy as he sprawled out next to her.
“Damn Georgia’s bipolar weather. The winter is going to come early. Of course, that would happen during a fucking apocalypse, huh?” The woman rubbed her hands in front of the fire. “Do you have any food?”
Veronica nodded her head to the old man’s stash behind her.
“Help yourself.”
“Thanks.” The woman opened a can of peaches and tipped them into her mouth. She was the kind of pretty that made other girls hate her. Long golden blonde hair, sparkling eyes, like she was a living barbie doll.
“So, where’d you come from Blondie?”
“Blondie? Really?” She tilted her head and arched her eyebrows.
“If you won’t tell me your name, I get to pick it.” Veronica shrugged.
“I was going to college in Nashville when all this started.”
“Belmont?” Veronica asked. Blondie shook her head.
“Vanderbilt,” she said. Veronica whistled.
“So, you’re a smartie.”
“I guess.” Blondie finished the last of the peaches and held out the can toward Veronica. “Where should I put this?”
“I dunno. Anywhere. It’s not my barn.”
Blondie tossed the can behind her back and sat down on some hay. Screeching sounded in the distance. Even in the dim light Veronica could see the woman’s body tense.
“Damn Eaters.”
“Is that what they are called?” Veronica asked. Blondie shrugged.
“It’s what I call them to differentiate them from the sick that haven’t turned.” Veronica nodded.
The sun started to peek through the open loft door and the golden hay on the barn floor glistened. Blondie looked up at the loft.
“What’s up there?”
“Just the hay loft. I set a bucket up there to catch rainwater.” Veronica stood to her feet and walked to the stairs. Timber leaped to his feet and followed. The wooden steps creaked with each step. A breeze blew in through the open loft door. The scent of grass and rain carried on the wind. Veronica pulled the bucket from its perch and peered inside. Over half full. Timber stared at the water and licked his lips.
“Have at it, Perrito.”
Timber shoved his head into the bucket, lapping up the fresh water. Veronica shifted her eyes to the land in-between the house and the barn. A light morning fog covered the field, birds chirped to welcome the morning, and a yellow glow draped the sky behind the house as the sun rose. The view was postcard perfect. Veronica took a snapshot to store in her mind for later when the horrors of reality returned. Wood creaked behind her, and Veronica glanced over her shoulder to find Blondie walking up the stairs.
Timber pulled his head from the bucket, tail wagging, and walked over to greet her. She held her hand out to him and didn’t move until he pressed his nose to her palm. He sniffed her hand before giving it a lick and then rubbed the length of his body along her legs like a cat. Veronica smiled as she watched Timber’s rear shake as Blondie found the perfect spot to scratch near the base of his tail. Movement near the tree line drew Veronica’s attention.
A tiny figure waddled out from the trees. It jumped in a puddle; the water soaked its lower half. Then a larger figure stepped from the trees and walked to the small one jumping in the water. Veronica squinted her eyes, trying to make out the details of their faces. Blondie stepped forward and stood beside her. When she caught sight of the two figures, Blondie’s face dropped.
The larger one grabbed the smaller one by the hand and headed toward the house. The fog was clearing and the duo’s blood-stained clothes became apparent. Veronica’s heart twisted when she recognized their faces. The mother and toddler that chased her from the house.
The little one tripped over something and landed face first on the ground. It let out a small cry before the mother picked her child up and cradled it in her arms as she walked across the field.
“I don’t understand…” Veronica shook her head.
“They are still people.” Blondie sighed. “They are just sick.”
“They chased me from the house like wild animals. There is a dead man in that house that has bites taken from all over his body. This doesn’t make sense.”
“The Eaters aren’t as aggressive toward their own. I don’t know why, but I’ve seen evidence of it multiple times, so I know it’s true. They also don’t just eat people either. I saw a group break open a large can of green beans and scarf them down.” Blondie leaned against the wooden wall and stared at the duo walking across the field.
“I don’t understand.”
“No one does.”
They both went silent and watched the mother and child walk up to their front door. It took the woman a few tries to figure it out, but she was able to get the door open. She and the child disappeared inside the house.
“Mierda! They can open doors.”
Blondie nodded. She grabbed the bucket and started down the stairs. Timber followed her. Veronica pulled the loft doors shut. The barn was suddenly much darker, but the idea of leaving anything open and making it easier for an Eater to get inside sent chills down her spine. She hurried down the stairs.
Blondie sat on the hay, digging through a backpack. She pulled out zip-lock bags full of different items and laid them out next to her. She picked up a green collapsible lantern, pulled it open, and flipped it on. Next, she opened a tablet, and the screen lit up.
“Do you have an internet connection with that thing?” Veronica sat next to her. Blondie shook her head.
“Lost that ages ago. But I saved what I needed. I keep it charged with a solar charger. Look.” She leaned over and Veronica saw a map on the screen. Blondie pointed to a spot. “I’m going there. I have to find someone.”
“Who?” Veronica asked. Blondie’s eyes narrowed.
“Someone very important. I have to head that way today. Do you have a car?”
“I did. But it was one of those electric ones and it died a ways back.” Veronica said.
“My solar charger could charge a small electric car. It would take some time, but it would work. How far is it?”
Veronica glared at her and stood up. She folded her arms across her chest as blood rushed to her face, flushing her cheeks.
“Who the fuck do you think you are? You come into my space. Won’t even tell me your damn name, but you want me to give you my car?”
“Your car won’t run without me. We need each other.”
“I only need Timber. We were fine before you and will be fine aft
er you.”
“You call this fine?” Blondie gestured around the room. “You’re hiding in a barn, for fuck’s sake.”
“A barn you just begged me to let you into!” Veronica paced back and forth. She kicked the hay at her feet, sending it and dirt flying into the air only for it to send her into a coughing fit. Anger boiled in her chest. As much as she hated to admit it, Blondie was right.
Timber sat at full attention, ears perked up, gaze shifting between the two women. Veronica squatted down and buried her head into her arms. Tears stung her eyes. Timber leaned his head across her back as if he were hugging her.
“Look, I don’t want to screw you over. If you let me use the car to get where I need to go then once we are there, I’ll give you the solar charger and you can go wherever you want.”
Veronica lifted her head. She wiped the back of her hand across her face, smearing the tears and dirt into muddy lines. She latched onto Timber and held him tightly. He rested his head on her shoulder and nuzzled into her neck. She had no other suitable options.
“Okay. That seems fair,” Veronica said.
“Good. But first you look like you could use some sleep. You sleep for a couple hours, I’ll keep watch. Then we can switch. After we both have a little nap, we can head to your car.”
“Yeah, right. What’s stopping you from robbing me?”
“Uh, besides the fact that I don’t know where your car is and the idea of trying to find it alone in this Eater infested swamp land is unappealing to me? You also have one of the biggest dogs I’ve ever seen.”
“You’ll protect me huh, perrito?” Timber licked her face. “Fine. Wake me in an hour.” Veronica curled up on the sleeping bag and drifted off to sleep.
Veronica woke to the feeling of steel jamming into her chest. Her eyes shot open to the view of a gun barrel. Bitch Barbie stood above her.
“What happened to your hand?” Blondie pointed to the bandage on Veronica’s hand.
Veronica jerked her head around looking for Timber and saw him lying in the corner. Eyes closed and body unmoving.
“What did you do to him?” Worry clutched her chest, and she felt like she had an elephant sitting on her chest, suffocating her.
“Gave him something to make him sleep. He’s not dead. Now answer the question.”
“I cut it.” Veronica said.
“Take the bandage off.”
“And if I don’t?” Veronica heard the click of the gun being cocked.
“I kill you.” Blondie’s face was stoic and unwavering.
Veronica raised her hands above her head and sat up. Her heart raced as her fight-or-flight response kicked in. She was about to die. Once she revealed the bite mark, it would all be over. What would happen to Timber?
“Promise me. No matter what happens after this. You won’t hurt Timber.” Veronica’s voice cracked as she spoke. Blondie simply nodded.
Veronica slowly unwrapped the pieces of fabric from her hand and let them fall away, revealing a well healed but obviously human bite mark. Blondie inspected her hand and held the lantern close to get a better look.
“How long ago were you bitten?” Blondie asked. Veronica thought for a moment.
“A week ago, I think. Let me check something.” Veronica moved slowly and removed her pill bottle from her bag. She peered through the orange bottle and saw one pill. “I have one antibiotic left so today is day seven.”
“So, it’s been a full week and you haven’t gotten sick? Was the bite from an Eater?” Blondie asked. Veronica nodded.
“Yeah. I was working in a hospital and a whacked-out-patient brought into the ER attacked me. I only got this. My coworker had his throat ripped out.”
Blondie set the lantern down, grabbed Veronica’s hand, and brought it to her face, inspecting it. She kept a firm grip on the gun and kept it trained on Veronica.
Veronica kept her eyes on the gun and debated trying to grab it. But the odds of that ending well were not in her favor. After what seemed like ages, Blondie released her hand and lowered the gun.
“I’ve never seen someone who was in close contact with an Eater not turn. Let alone someone who was bit by one. Everyone has died or turned by the seventh day, and here you are not even sick.” Blondie’s forehead creased and her eyes stayed locked on Veronica. “You’re immune.”
“I don’t know about that and neither do you.” Veronica shook her head.
“What else makes sense?” Blondie asked.
Veronica thought for a moment, but nothing came to her. She shrugged.
“I haven’t let myself think about it too much, honestly. I was just focused on getting to my brother and finding somewhere safe.”
“Where is your brother?”
“It doesn’t matter now. The helicopter he sent for me crashed and last time I tried to call him he didn’t answer.”
“You should come with me.”
“You pulled a gun on me and drugged my dog!” Veronica screamed. Blondie sighed.
“I saw that bandage when you gave me the can of peaches earlier, and I needed to make sure you weren’t infected. I’ve been fooled before. I’m sorry.” Veronica nodded.
Where else was she going to go? Being with someone was safer than being on her own. Especially someone who had the supplies and apparent experience Blondie did. It was either go with her or eventually die on her own. Blondie started shoving things back into her bag.
“Do you promise not to pull a gun on me again? And to leave my fucking dog alone?”
“As long as you don’t get sick. Yes.” Blondie glanced over at her before moving to the old man’s canned goods supply and tossing some into her bag.
“If you get sick, do I get to pull the gun on you?” Veronica grabbed her bag and pulled it to her chest.
“That’s fair.” Blondie nodded and zipped up her bag. Timber stirred in the corner.
“Okay then. You have a deal. Where are we going?” Veronica watched as Timber’s eyes slowly fluttered open and he sat up. Relief washed over her.
“It’s a long story and I’ll explain it all on the way. You do realize if you’re really immune you could be the key to stopping this, right? We have to get you to someone who can figure this out.”
Veronica’s eyes widened. She had barely let the idea of being immune cross into her thoughts, let alone allowed herself to think about what that would mean for the rest of the world. She shook her head.
“You are like more important than the President now.” Blondie said with a smile.
“I don’t know if I like that.”
“Oh, poor you. Savior of humanity. Immune to the deadliest virus known to man. Poor Veronica.” Blondie laughed. Veronica couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I guess it could be worse.”
“Oh, if this apocalypse has taught me anything, it’s that things can always get worse.” She swung her pack onto her back and smiled at Veronica. “By the way. My name is Gabby.”
Also by Karri Kadin
After The Outbreak
About the Author
About the Author
Karri writes stories for the end of the world. Some of her favorite show’s like The 100 and The Walking Dead prove she’s not the only one obsessed with the apocalypse, zombies, and surviving the worst case scenario.
She has always been a book nerd but didn’t start crafting her own stories until adulthood. It only took one horrible first draft for her to be hooked. She loves writing about normal people in extraordinary situations.
She lives in Oklahoma, USA with more bug out bags than people, possibly too much freeze dried food, and her family that thinks she’s crazy. When she’s not writing she can be found spending time with her loved ones, binging her current tv obsession, or working on her podcast The Blitzed Book Club.
Karri writes fantasy under the pen name Karri Roberts and post-apocalyptic sci-fi under Karri Kadin.
Outbreak
